Separating pius



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

T. FOWLER, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

SEPARATING PINS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 13,785, dated November 13, 1855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THADDEUs FowLER, of the city of Vaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Separating Imperfect from Perfect Pins; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXactdescription of the construction, character, and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which makes a part of this specification, in which the drawing represents the whole machine ready for use.

My improvement consists in the use of an endless apron, having a lateral oscillating, or rocking, motion, to cause the perfect, or

. straight, pins to roll olf into a proper receptacle, (ready for sticking,) while all imperfect, or crooked, pins will pass down, by the longitudinal motion of the upper surface of the endless apron into a separate receptacle, to be worked over, or otherwise.

I make a frame to contain the rollers of the endless apron, F, substantially as represented at A, and B, by attaching straps of metal to a wooden bar, or slat, as seen at a, or in any other convenient way. In the end, A, I fit a plain roller, around which the endless apron passes, as indicated at Z), leaving sufficient room for the crooked pins to pass over endwise, and fall between the roller at b, and the end of the metal strap, c, into a proper receptacle, as into the boX, C. In the upper end, B, which I make broader, I fit a longer roller, sufficient to carry the endless apron, as at a, and a driving belt, as e, (which is worked by a pulley, g, on the main, or driving, shaft, 1),) and on the journal of the roller, d, as seen near B, I have a crank on which the connecting rod, E, works, to give the lateral oscillating, or rocking, motion to the endless apron. I suspend this frame, A, a, B, on a pivot at each end, as shown at c, and h, so as to allow it to rock freely, by the operation of the connecting rod, E, on the crank near B, when the roller, d, of the .endless apron is revolving. On the central part of this frame for the endless apron, I t two points, as at z',

which are so near the apron that a pin cannot pass under them, and so near to each other that a pin lying crossvvise of the apron, must come in contact with one of the points and thereby be turned lengthwise of the apron, so that if it is straight, it will roll olf, but if crooked it will pass down to the box, C. Under this endless apron, F, I fit a spout, or conductor, Cr, or other suitable receptacle, to receive the perfect pins as they fall from the endless apron.

I feed the pins from a common pan, H, hanging inclined, and shaken by the revolving of the teeth, at 7c, or otherwise.

Having constructed, and arranged the parts, substantially as represented, I throw the pins into the pan, H, and vrevolve the crank, I, in the direction indicated by the darthwhen the teeth, at 7c, will shake the pan, H, and cause the pins to slide down into the endless apron, F, and by revolving the crank, I, the belt, g, e, will revolve the roller, d, which will not only give the endless apron, F, a longitudinal motion, in the direction indicated by the dart, but, by the effect of the crank, near B, and the connecting rod, E, the apron, F, will also receive an oscillating, or rocking, mot-ion, which will cause all the straight pins to roll off into the conductor, G, (or other receptacle,) while the imperfect, or crooked, pins will pass down on the apron, F, and fall into the pan, C. These motions may be effected by any of the well known methods for giving a longitudinal, and an oscillating, or rocking, motion to the apron, as convenience may direct.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'Ihe method of separat-ing the imperfect from t-he perfect pins by the use of an endless apron, having both a longitudinal, and a lateral oscillating, or rocking, motion, when constructed, and made to operate, substantially, as herein described.

THADDEUS FOWLER.

Witnesses:

JAMES B. REDDIE, R. FITZGERALD. 

